© 2024 University of Missouri - KBIA
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Discover Nature: Black Locust Trees Bloom

Missouri Department of Conservation

This week in Missouri’s woods, a native, thorny, locust tree displays clusters of fragrant white flowers.

 

The black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) grows in dry or rocky upland woods, along streams, and in pastures, and thickets. 

 

A pioneer tree species, black locust easily invades disturbed sites, and some consider it a nuisance species. 

 

Black locusts are prolific seed producers, but an impermeable seed coat prevents most from germinating. Instead, most natural reproduction occurs as sprouts and suckers arise from stumps and an extensive root system beneath existing trees. 

 

Widely planted for wind breaks, soil erosion control, and as an ornamental, these trees play an important role in colonizing disturbed sited. 

 

Black locust wood ranks seventh-hardest of any tree in North America, and is used for fence posts and firewood. 

 

Aromatic blossoms in May and June provide a good nectar source for bees, while deer browse the leaves and twigs, and squirrels and quail eat the seeds. 

 

Look for these tough trees in Missouri’s rugged landscape, and enjoy their fragrant flowers on your next outdoor adventure. 

 

Learn more about black locusts and other flowering spring trees, with the Missouri Department of Conservation’s online field guide

 

Discover Nature is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Kyle Felling was born in the rugged northwest Missouri hamlet of St. Joseph (where the Pony Express began and Jesse James ended). Inspired from a young age by the spirit of the early settlers who used St. Joseph as an embarkation point in their journey westward, Kyle developed the heart of an explorer and yearned to leave for adventures of his own. Perhaps as a result of attending John Glenn elementary school, young Kyle dreamed of becoming an astronaut, but was disheartened when someone told him that astronauts had to be good at math. He also considered being a tow truck driver, and like the heroes of his favorite childhood television shows (The A-Team and The Incredible Hulk) he saw himself traveling the country, helping people in trouble and getting into wacky adventures. He still harbors that dream.
Related Content